NEVER ENOUGH COOL RULER

I feel sorry for dem yutes today. Dem too cool for this Lovers Rock business. Dem only wanna Gun Spree talk and Pum Pum lyrics. Where is the poetry in that? Lovers Rock deh say is for likkle school girls and "sentimental ole fools".  GREGORY ISAACS is wah Grandma listen to .

 Yeah...it's dem yutes loss. 

In the wake of Gregory's passing many "best of" see the light of day. Most are good but a few really stand out. This TAD'S release will have your heart breaking and your eyes tearing.

ISAACS old record label AFRICAN MUSEUM struck a deal with TAD's before JAH reached down from Heaven and tapped Gregory's soul on the shoulder. So this be the official best!

Of course reggae giant VP Records couldn't sit still. And this is the product of their squirming. 

Big big tunes. A lot of the same big big tunes. So price or brand loyalty are the tings to consider. Both sets contain the essentials.

Even if the Cool Ruler just read off the ladies names out of a phone book and backed it over with a smooth Riddim I would be happy. 

Now imagine if Gregory recited Willie the Shake's Romeo et Juliette.  

It would of been the greatest love song of all time...

I will gave respect to TROJAN RECORDS. In the old days before digital remastering...their collection was unmatched.

The forever EXTRA CLASSIC. Long outta print.

VINTAGE 2010

Now that the year 2010 seems like ancient history...Nico's Big Mouth looks back at a few of the releases that held my attention for more than passing moment.

The best video not featuring the beautifully talented CE'CILE goes to COURTNEY JOHN.

I haven’t viewed too many videos...my computer is so old that you-tube plays in stop motion. As I mentioned in a past post my cable provider has a feature that offers a small handful of REGGAE videos. This video for the COURTNEY JOHN tune LUCKY MAN has made me a huge fan.

The video is shot in glorious black 'n' white. A film-noir piece that evokes the feel and emotion of the 1960’s. Before COURTNEY takes the song out, he segues into a few bars of the SOUL standard, I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU. This tune was the signature ballad by ROSE ROYCE used in the movie CAR WASH. So strong is COURTNEY’S visual performance that I blindly (deafly?) picked up the disc that the single is off of. Am I satisfied?
Do used car salesman take advantage of little old ladies?
Most certainly!

All right…this REGGAE discussion on AMAZON went foul fast so I added my Big Mouth to the “arguement.” Below is my smart-ass remark...

This is perfect for those “fans” too colorblind to spot the difference between SIZZLA and 50 CENT. Courtney John makes reggae the old fashioned way. He digs back even further than Roots to an era defined by Rocksteady crooners. John creates pure soul poured over smooth grooves. All the empty spaces are filled with harmonies and a touch of punchy horns. No annoyingly ponderous guitar solos to distract from the melody. No camouflaging sour notes with auto-tune. No generic digital beats. No way will you mistake it for Hip-Hop. Or that Rock n Roll nonsense either. The CD title explains it all-MADE IN JAMAICA

I was beginning to think that my forte’ for this BLOG was becoming bargain hunting for REGGAE deals, but my human nature acted up.

The single tune that got stuck on repeat in my brain goes to WAYNE MARSHALL and MAVADO'S massive MY HEART. Normally tunes like this make me vomit till I turn blue. These tunes are fit for sullen teenage girls. But for reason unexplainable too myself, I love this tune. Maybe therapy will help get it outta my head.

Many big drops from big talent last year… LADY SAW’S something different MY WAY, CAPLETON’S slow burning ITERNAL FIRE, BUJU’S get out of jail BEFORE THE DAWN and GYPTAIN’S nah sell out crossover HOLD YOU… et cetera. But my most played new CD of 2010 goes to TAD’S REGGAE JAMMIN PLUS Vol. 2.

This collection is giving notice to VP’S REGGAE GOLD series and the GREENSLEEVES' BIGGEST REGGAE ONE DROP/RAGGA DANCEHALL ANTHEMS that TADS is a force to be reckoned with. As you can see there is a lot of big names spread out over 40!!! big tunes. Do not be foolish...add this 2 disc set to your selection. Bliss.

CONVERTED...

I am going to interupt my scheduled programming of rodents and riddims for something completely different...



I gotta say I got pretty damn impatient waiting for MAVADO'S new CD to drop. What has it been since his sophomore release,"Mr. Brooks...A Better Tomorrow", dropped in early 2009? It's now near the end of 2010. That makes it almost 23 months ago-an eternity in Reggae years. So while I was window shopping at Ernie B's, I came across "THE HITLIST vol 2". I had typed Mavado into the search box and among the selections that popped up was this collection from TAD's. I consulted an expert before buying and when I got authentication, I added it to my cart. (Bigup Achisl)



On this disc was not one but five Mavado singles! A total of twenty-four epic tunes make this an incredible earful. There is something orchestral about these tunes. Something almost operatic. Big big tunes here! This disc also introduced me to some new ladies like Lisa Hype and Gaza Kim. Interestingly, former Alliance talent and Mavado nemesis, Vybz Kartel is represented by five big tunes. His massive three part "Clarks" being his show piece. I guess TAD'S doesn't play favorites with either side if the arguement. Dancehall King and Queen Beeenie Man and Mi Lady Saw drop one tune apiece. I still find it interesting that the Beenie Man and Bounty Killer fued was over each one accusing the other for copping their sound. I have never confused a Bounty Killer tune for Beenie's. Nonsense. I have confused Bushman for Luciano when I am only half awake. Half baked?

Okay, if vol 2 was essential then the first volume must be mandatory listening. Right?



It is.



Gyptain along with Suga Roy and Conrad Crystal cover Joseph Hill and Culture's warhorse of a tune "Jah Jah See Dem." For me covering Culture can prove to be a sacrilegious affair. Not so in this case. It is faithful to the original vibe and has an all new energy at the same time. I have no idea who Suga Roy and Conrad Crystal are but Gyptian really won me over with this tune. I already count his Beng Beng and Mi Fadda Say being big faves of mine, but some of his tunes seem a little too radio friendly for my liking. I am going back to spin 'em with new ears.

The real jewel of this set for me is "Daggera" by Spice. (another big up to Achis) This tune rocks a polka riddim! Crazy. I wonder if there is some guy in Poland right now rocking a Dancehall riddim on his accordian?

This disc is a bit mellower than it's sequel. No less big in sound though. The breakout new talent for me is Laden with his correctly put "Time To Shine" tune. Bounty Killer and Beenie Man on the same disc with only six songs to seperate them? I can hear the insults! This disc plays out sweetly with a Sizzla ballad. I count myself a convert to the TAD's label. I'm looking forward to misappropriating funds to buy more of their releases.